60+ Artists Unite for Bengaluru's National Art Festival

More than 60 artists from every corner of India transformed Bengaluru's Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath into a canvas of hope and cultural celebration this month.

The second edition of Namma Art Bengaluru brought together painters, printmakers, and ceramicists for a festival that proved art can bridge divides and spark meaningful dialogue. Last year's inaugural event attracted 100 artists from 30 cities, setting the stage for this year's even more ambitious gathering.

Beyond the artwork itself, the festival featured Creative Dialogues, a series of masterclasses and panel discussions where artists and the public connected face to face. This came at a perfect time as India's art market experiences promising growth, giving emerging artists a platform to share their vision.

The centerpiece exhibition, "Mapping Periphery & Centre," curated by Goa-based art historian Lina Vincent, asked powerful questions about India's diverse artistic landscape. Artists responded with visual stories exploring everything from local memories to global histories, creating a tapestry of perspectives rarely seen together.

Featured artists including Arunkumar HG, Balaji Ponna, Bhartti Verma, and Venkat Raman Singh Shyam brought traditional forms into fresh conversations. The works demonstrated how printmaking and ceramics are finally getting recognition alongside more conventional mediums.

The Ripple Effect

Vincent's work extends beyond individual exhibitions into transforming how India approaches art education. Through her platform Lina Vincent Arts Consultant, she develops curriculum for schools and colleges, believing art appreciation should start in elementary school and continue throughout academics.

"Art is meaning. It is a mirror to individual and collective thoughts and experiences," Vincent explains. Her vision is creating a generation of adults who naturally value arts and culture as essential rather than optional.

The festival's host venue, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, already runs India's largest street art fair, the annual Chitra Santhe. By adding Namma Art Bengaluru to their calendar, they're creating year-round opportunities for artists and communities to connect.

Traditional miniature painting is experiencing a renaissance, Vincent notes, as artists explore ancestral techniques with contemporary themes. These ancient forms are finding new life in modern India's creative conversation.

The festival proved that when artists from different regions, backgrounds, and practices come together, they create something more powerful than individual expression: a national dialogue about who we are and who we're becoming.